


One Day

by WeirdoBoxer



Series: One Day [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Director Daisy, F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Goodbyes, Leaving, Multi, Protective May and Coulson, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 09:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14209935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdoBoxer/pseuds/WeirdoBoxer
Summary: A few years into the future, S.H.I.E.L.D is put at risk once again. Agent Daisy Johnson, now Director, had sworn to this organisation she made a family from, and now she must leave to protect it.At least she has time on her side.XDaisy has the day to say goodbye to her team before she goes off the grid to save S.H.I.E.L.D.





	One Day

**Author's Note:**

> Set just over a year ahead of the current timeline, where Daisy is co-director of S.H.I.E.L.D with Mack, Coulson and May have taken a more behind the scenes role and Fitz and Jemma have a kid.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

Daisy swung her fists towards the punch bag, her mind running over the facts over and over again. She had put S.H.I.E.L.D in jeopardy. Any day now they would be under questioning, and if her face was attached to the organisation then S.H.I.E.L.D would be seen as HYDRA again.

Daisy stopped punching, resting her hands either side of the bag to catch her breath. She felt the quick thrumming of her heart against her chest, it’s rhythmic beats mimicking each second passing, each second closer to the decision she had to make.

If she leaves, she’s well and truly on her own.

If she stays, everyone and everything she knows and loves is at risk.

She knew what she had to do.

XXXXXXX

It wasn’t hard to track Mack down as Daisy found him tinkering with vehicle parts, Elena not far away. Glancing around, Daisy noted there weren’t any other people at this hour and it was decidedly safe to break the news without it being heard by the wrong people.

“Hey,” she announced as she stepped up to brace an arm against the wall beside Mack, “You two have a minute?”

“Sure. What’s up, Director?” Mack asked as Elena came over from working on her arms.

“Co-director. With you.” Daisy corrected. Mack frowned and shrugged.

“Of course, I was just… seriously, what’s going on?”

Daisy went on, describing how they had just about recovered to rebuild a trustworthy organisation, but it was in danger all over again, just like when the questions about Inhumans were raised before. People were coming, there were going to be questions, and she couldn’t be around to answer them. It was too dangerous. Daisy explained it all, how she needed them to run S.H.I.E.L.D now there was no Coulson, no May to fall back on. She watched as their faces turned more and more solemn.

“I know losing Bobbi and Hunter was hard for you…”

Mack reached an arm out to squeeze her arm, a sad understanding gracing his expression, “It’s okay, Tremors.”

“Really? Okay,” Daisy paused, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you guys had one foot out the door for a while. I need to know you’re ready for this.”

Mack looked to Elena for agreement, worried she might not be ready for the extra work. She nudged his arm affectionately before addressing Daisy.

“We’re ready.”

Two down, four to go.

XXXXXXX

Jemma launched herself at Daisy, giving the Director little time to react as she stumbled back.

“Wow, Jemma, you have Mom strength now or something-”

“Oh, Daisy,” Jemma mumbled into her friend’s hair, “It won’t be the same without your humor, albeit sarcastic and unnecessary at the best of times. And we could do without your non-stop chatter when we have potentially corrosive materials in our hands-”

“Alright, alright, this is beginning to sound like you won’t actually miss me at all.” Daisy quipped, pulling back from the hug. Jemma rolled her eyes.

“Of course I will, silly. I really will.”

“Just look after your first born as well for me, yeah?”

Jemma frowned, “Without a doubt, Grace is our priority-”

Daisy interrupted, “I know, I meant science.”

She turned to Fitz who had yet to speak or make a move, although it would be difficult to while juggling a sleeping Grace in his arms. They still had so much to work out, Daisy knew, but she had no time left. All the more reason to make it back.

“I don’t want to leave us on a negative just in case…” Daisy trailed off, “I think we’ve both been punished enough. I’ll never forget you as the first person to tell me it was okay to have powers. If it weren’t for you, it may have just been too much. So thanks.”

Fitz tried to give a nonchalant shrug but Grace prevented that, so he settled for a nod, “I knew how it felt. I, um, I am sorry-”

“Stop, we’ve spoken about this. We’re healing. Hopefully I’ll be back and we can go back to things were before all that,” she leaned over to the sleeping Grace, “And I’ll see this little one all grown up. Can’t have her missing out on quality time with her Aunt Daisy.”

Jemma shook her head, eyes glistening, “We’re going to tell her everything about you.”

“It’s funny, I always thought I would be the one left behind.”

With that, Daisy was tackled into another crushing hug.

Only two more to go. Unfortunately, the last ones were always the hardest.

XXXXXXX

“This isn’t real. Not after everything we have been through the past year. And everything before that.”

Melinda May couldn’t bring herself to face the truth. Not this truth. Daisy looked at her feet, feeling guilty under May’s gaze. She hadn’t felt this way since her days with May as her S.O. Now as one of the Directors of S.H.I.E.L.D, it was rarity that Daisy felt outranked and inferior to anyone else. Somehow, May and Coulson still had that effect.

“I wish it wasn’t, you know I wouldn’t leave again if I didn’t have to,” Daisy thought back to the countless times she’d tried to leave the team behind. This time she didn’t want to, but there was no choice, “If I stay, everything we have built will be at serious risk.”

May stood from her desk, drawing Daisy’s focus to her eyes, “There has to be another way.”

“Not this time.” Daisy said.

“Why not? This team have lost so much, I don’t know if you leaving will be the last straw.” May fought, eyes ablaze with determination. That determination was mirrored right back as Daisy squared her shoulders.

“I think everyone will be just fine, actually,” The corner of Daisy’s mouth twitched upwards as she thought of her team now, “Fitz and Jemma have Grace while they keep everything in check in the labs. I’ve spoken to Mack, he’s ready to step up. Him and Elena are in this for the long run. As for Elena, she’s training the Inhumans and I need to protect that. Then there’s you and Coulson.”

Daisy moved around May’s desk to face her former mentor, “Coulson told me that I was ready for this job. I like to think that I have served him well. As Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, it’s my job to protect this organisation and everything within it until I can’t do that anymore. I know you understand that. Leaving you guys is the hardest choice I’ve ever made but I half signed up for it. The other half was peer pressure from Coulson.”

May tried to laugh at Daisy’s far-fetched attempt at lightening the atmosphere, she really did, but if these were the last moments she would get with her, she had things to say.

“Apart from Fitz seeing Hunter when we were in space, we haven’t seen Bobbi or Hunter since they went off the grid.” May murmured as she sunk back down into her chair, Daisy following to crouch beside her.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Where will you go? To find them?”

Daisy hesitated, “Maybe. You know I can’t tell you.”

May knew. She just hated not knowing where Daisy would be for years, on her own with no means to contact them. She placed a hand on Daisy’s shoulder.

“You’ve become a daughter to me and brought emotions back to me that I never thought I would have again. Man, I think being out of the field has made me go soft.”

Daisy chuckled, “I don’t think that’s the only reason…”

May raised an eyebrow, tilting her head in question. As if on cue, Coulson appeared in the doorway. Judging by the expression on Daisy’s face, he was exactly what she meant.

Coulson dropped some folders on his desk that sat on the opposite side of the room before approaching the women. Daisy stood to face him, knowing this conversation would be the hardest.

“It only took me walking the length of this level to find out you’re leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. Leaving us.”

“You put it like that and it makes it seem like I’m betraying you. I’m doing this to protect you.”

Coulson folded his arms, “That’s what you said all the other times.”

Daisy tensed, “Don’t use that against me. The difference this time is that, for one I’m not under some messed up mind control, but also I really don’t want to leave. It’s the responsibility that you trusted me with.”

“How long?” Coulson inquired, causing Daisy to look at the ground once again.

“At least a few years.”

Coulson exhaled shortly, “ _How long_?”

Daisy lifted her eyes to the ceiling before dropping them to meet his, “I guess, maybe, 10 years to be safe-”

“What the hell?” It wasn’t like Coulson to come out with the outbursts, “That’s ridiculous. This will blow over in a few months. You can’t announce this and leave without giving us time! Who even knows if we’ll be here in 10 years?”

“Jeez, you guys are old but not that old,” Daisy joked before stopping at the uncertainty on their faces still, “You will see me again. I know it. We don’t have enough time for me to give 3 months notice before leaving.”

Coulson pulled on his collar, revealing the discoloured marks that still marred his chest, “I’m dying, Daisy.”

Daisy averted her eyes. May muttered his name in warning.

“Yeah, we found something that prolonged the inevitable, but it hasn’t cured me,” Coulson continued, “It’s selfish of me, yes, but, you can’t leave us now.”

May stood, moving around the desk to pull Coulson to her side in a rare show of affection reserved for their time alone, “We have to let her go, Phil. We have to let her go and hope we are here to welcome her back.”

Coulson deflated, “Then I suppose we should make your last night a good one.”

XXXXXXX

It had been easier than first thought to suppress the pressure of tears behind her eyes, until Daisy entered the living area.

All her friends, _her family_ , stood holding shot glasses. It was her spy’s goodbye.

“Guys… I’m not even a...I’m not-” she broke off as the tears won and a glass was pressed into her hand and Mack held her around the shoulders to stop her falling and it was all _so much_.

Mack raised his glass, “Call it what you want. This is just our way of saying goodbye. To the Director. To Daisy.”

Everyone chorused, “To Daisy.”

XXXXXXX

“Daisy,” a voice called and she turned, seeing Coulson at the end of the corridor. It would only be a few steps to walk back. No, she couldn’t, “Just promise me you’ll come back one day.”

Daisy smiled, the lump in her throat threatening her voice but she forced it back. Just a little longer.

“I’ll come back. One day.”

**Author's Note:**

> Might do a follow up in which Daisy returns so keep an eye out if you're interested.


End file.
